Operation Aequor
During the events of the Great Hunt in December 2028, New Zealand Tracker Drones capture multiple Kaiju heat signatures in a previously unknown underwater cave about 200 metres beneath the ocean surface. Quickly gathering more Intel about the case, the PPDC soon found out about the deep sea cave: a strange heat signature, never seen before, guarded by 18 Kaiju, category III to VII. 17 of them seemingly share five different body models, from two catV beasts resembling long-legged crabs with multiple subcutaneous poison projectile launchers (codename "Crabs") over to a catIII water-focused swiftswimmer (codename Barracuda), seven catIV four-armed brutes (codename "Marauders"), three catIV heavily armoured hostiles (codename "Phalanx") and four muscular catV brawlers (codename "Slammers"), all looking spookily identical. The Australian PPDC started searching for voluntary pilots from other Shatterdomes, soon having gathered a team of seven Jaegers, consisting of Caravaggio Elite, Orion Corazon, Centaurus Cannoneer, Poseidon Marine, Cherno Omega, Kali Assailant and Elysium Ascendant. After establishing a bridge head near the cave entrance, a standard issue support point was constructed: guarded by Cherno Omega and Poseidon Marine in rotating shifts, a squad of S&K Repair Drones is deployed amongst other other supplies, including 79 S&K-KSM Seeker Mines. Then, on the 7th February 2029, 0700, Operation Aequor officially starts: Caravaggio Elite, Nuclear Mercenary, Orion Corazon, Centaurus Cannoneer, Kali Assailant and Elysium Ascendant descend into the depths, join Cherno Omega and Poseidon Marine and start heading towards the cave, with Centaurus Cannoneer staying back for suppressive fire. First attacking the cave with all 79 KSM mines, the entrance is busted open and three Kaijus (two Marauders, one Crab) rush outside to defend the hive. Elysium Ascendant tries to cover the attackers in LAKM missiles, but gets knocked down as the rockets aren't very effective when used underwater. Poseidon Marine finishes one marauder while Kali Assailant targets the Crab's legs while it is distracted with spitting it's acid towards Cherno Omega (who simply ignores the bombardment due to his acidproof plating and delivers heavy blows to the Kaiju's front side while Kali Assailant successfully destroys four our of six legs, making the Crab fall over for an easy takedown. Meanwhile, the second marauder is on its way to the support camp and Centaurus Cannoneer, resisting CC's heavy fire for some time and then turning away to flee - but then, a Repair Drone abandons it's storage point and fliers directly into the Kaiju's throat, burning through flesh and bones with its welder hand before exposing the Kaiju's brain to the welders 3000°C hot thermite flame, getting the first credit for killing Kaiju with a Sub-Jaeger worldwide. The remaining Jaegers start to make their way into the cave, led by Elysium Ascendant (who's been refitted with Anti-Kaiju torpedoes) just to encounter the Barracuda, two Phalanxes and a Slammer. Cherno Omega (being the smallest Jaeger in the team) successfully engages Barracuda and kills it with two perfectly placed Dynamite Syringes to the chest and neck. Poseidon Marine and Elysium Ascendant open fire on both Phalanxes, hitting them with over 100 AK torpedoes that quickly reduce their armor to a minimum. Elysium Ascendant rushes in and kills both Phalanxes by stabbing through their skulls with rapier blades, then quickly extending their width to crush the Kaiju's brains to bits. With one Phalanx, one Crab, three Slammers and five Marauders remaining, Cherno Omega retreats - the small Jaeger isn't built for the pressure of 200m deep water. After Cherno successfully reaches the ocean surface without any casualties, the team (now decimated down to five Jaegers against 10 Kaiju plus the anomaly) pushes further on. Caravaggio Elite and Elysium Ascendant now both enter offensive mode (with all blades in attack mode) and confront the last Phalanx while Orion Corazon launches two perfectly aimed Kinetic Lances and pierces the last Crab's skull, immobilizing it while Poseidon Marine leaps towards the six-legged abomination powered by his Tidal Power Transmitter and rips apart its brain, shredding it to pieces by holding an activated Shatterfist straight into the Kaiju's brain. Meanwhile, Kali Assailant finds a worthy opponent in on of the four-armed Marauders. Things get dangerous when a second Marauder attacks Kali Assailant, but Caravaggio Elite comes to assist despite not being to able to move at full speed due to a damaged leg. Elysium Ascendant finishes the last Phalanx. The second marauder flees heavily wounded, but only gets about 100 metres away from the Jaegers when a God Rod penetrates its skull. Caravaggio Elite stands back for repairs while the remaining four Jaegers advance in Squad Formation: with Elysium Ascendant leading the way, followed by Kali Assailant, Poseidon Marine and Orion Corazon forming the rearguard. The four Jaegers now enter the main cave to fight the six remaining hostiles, consisting of three Marauders and three Slammers just to be confronted with the bizarre view of a living biomechanic Kaiju breeding machine (later referring to it as Broodmother) that was breeding more Kaiju from the cloned DNA within the Broodmothers back sacks. Unleashing Torpedo Havoc on the Broodmother and their guards, the six remaining enemies are no match for the four war machines speeding into their cave. Two of the Slammers get double-teamed by Elysium Ascendant and Kali Assailant, quickly get weakened and get killed by Elysium Ascendant. Orion Corazon engages the last Slammer while Poseidon Marine repels the other Kaiju with the last three dozen torpedoes he's got left. Kali Assailant gets attacked by the Broodmother herself, quickly frees herself and starts damaging the Broodmother's body while operating outside the Broodmother's claw reach. The remaining three Marauders get assaulted by Elysium Ascendant, Orion Corazon and Poseidon and get obliterated within a matter of minutes - Elysium Ascendant gets credited for the first kill, Orion Corazon for the other two. The Broodmother herself is quickly killed with precise finishing blows and the body is being dragged out of the cave, then up to the ocean surface for further investigation. Aftermath During the Broodmother's autopsy, PPDC scientists discover that the Broodmother herself was a clone, too and conclude that dozens of other clone caves are scattered throughout the world's oceans. If these caves ever raise a full horde of Kaiju and unleash them onto the surface, none would be able to withstand. Therefore, the PPDC initiated Operation Raptor with the target of finding, entering and clearing every single of these caves. These "Raids" (as they've been called by the Rangers) took place from January 2029 to March 2031, when all of the Caves were presumed eradicated. Category:SWB